The Melbourne Trip - Part 3

EASTER MONDAY

The last day of the Con and Stephen had agreed to help run an 8am session ... the alarm went off at 6am.  Do you know I'd forgotten how much fun it was to kick someone ELSE out of bed when the alarm goes off !!!  To be able to stretch and lie-in and listen tot he sounds of someone else showering .....

After my shower we headed out and stopped at MacDonald's for breakfast on the way.  Again Stephen laughed at watching my stomach battle my ethics.  My stomach of course won.

When we got there I was nabbed by a group and asked if I wanted to join them.  The group was some of the friends I met during the weekend and they specifically wanted *me* to join this game !!!  Well I was flattered into it - what can I say.  This one was called "A pointless Fairy Tale' and it was more a tabletop game.  Again I was typecast !!!!  I was the red-headed fiery kitchen hand" with my cleaver and needing to revenge my parent who were killed by the Bandit Queen !!!!

I gained kudos for my description of the ultimate lamb pie and we were the only group to complete one of the tasks because I distracted the fairies with a cookie I had baked ..... I described the cookie too :) :)  Random's housemate (the one in the boxer shorts) was also in this game as The Penniless and disguised Prince.  We also had an Ugly Carpenter, a Peasant Girl (played with great gusto by a 20 something year old boy - he could simper and skip better than I could !!!!) and a One-eyed Sheep Farmer !!!!

Lots of fun and merriment!

I returned to the hall to find that Random's game hadn't run after all so they were all just sitting around and chatting.  I joined in and I noticed my blood plums were on the table, so I nabbed one.  Many ribald comments ensued about the ripeness of my plums!  Adam, the guy who played my husband on Saturday night's game swooped in and snaffled a plum saying "I have indeed sampled her plums previously and I can recommend them - they are indeed superb".  So yeah more comments and an easy camaraderie.

As Stephen and I had discussed,b y coming in with him, I had gained easy entry into his group of friends.  Keeping or establishing my own place amongst them as an individual was up to me and my actions.  I think by the end of the weekend I was definitely accepted.  I exchanged emails with a few too.  So new friends are always good :)

I was chatting with a guy called Chris - very very good looking guy who can cook!  We were trading recipes earlier in the weekend.  He was feeling morose and saying that found it hard to attract women ..... (the look of utter incredulity of my face was unnoticed by him).  He went on to talk about crazy ex-partners and everyone else at the table agreed.  I didn't.  He informed me I was soooo lucky not to have a crazy ex in my background.  We then agreed that there's nothing so nasty in the world that a good steak/stake couldn't fix!

Around lunch time Stephen and I headed out and did some more mundane arrangements and packing of his stuff for the move.  Mid afternoon I received a phone call from Paul.  I moved away and took the call and it quickly turned very very nasty !!!

Paul was on a huge jealousy kick - what do you see in this guy? Is he bigger than me? Is he better in bed than me? 

Ummmm Paul you split up with me at Christmas time - this is not an appropriate conversation for us to be having.

The questions got even more nasty and pointed out that was I aware I been bought like a whore for the weekend.  I pointed out that this line of questioning was unhealthy and I would not answer such questions, nor had he any right to ask them. 

He got nastier again (which I wont write here) and I hung up on him.  I then turned my phone off and walked back to where Stephen was.  He said "oh love" in a very compassionate voice and held me until I stopped trembling.  He then took me to the nearest Hogs Breath restaurant and fed me steak :) :)  We decided it was all Chris's fault for discussing crazy ex-partners :)

We went back tot he apartment for a while so I could have some time out, changed and went out to the after Con party that night.

Had sooo much fun with these people that over the course of the weekend I could now call friends :)  Some were mere acquaintances, but most I could remember the names of and smile and nod in passing, I could join in many of the conversations.  I was no longer an outsider or "Stephen's friend".  It was really good.

The evening was marred a little by some drunken louts.  The Con goers always apparently book out the beer garden (outdoor area) of one of the local pubs or their party.  This time the garden was invaded by a bunch of drunken louts and their ladette girlfriends!  They were already too drunk to stand a lot of them and yet the bar (contrary to Australian liquor laws) kept serving them.  We moved the tables and chairs creating an obstacle course between them and us.  You could see them walk into the men's with full glasses of beer and spirits and the sound of smashing glass and they would come out again without the drink and with their fly's undone.  We just huddled in our own corner and attempted to ignore them or treat them like a new variety of bovines ....

Many stories and discussions were had that evening and at least a half dozen of my new friends urged ,e to agree to go to the next Con - which is in Canberra in June.  They then used this to try and convince Stephen to come across the country for it too :) :)

One of the stories I was told was from the Trivia Night on Saturday night (we were playing the Steam Punk free form).  The last round which was worth double points was called "Muggle Studies" and had questions such as: Who won last year's Survivor?  Who were the two boys ejected from the Big Brother House?  Name the finalists in "So you think you can dance ???

Like true geeks and nerds and friends of mine everywhere -t his was the lowest scoring round of the entire evening  !!!!

There was also a very very interesting conversatyion on having gaming-friendly partners. Gaming is these people's hobby.  They spend time writing the free forms, or creating characters or creating costumes, and most of the Con are on Public Holiday long weekends.  They discussed friends and people they knew that had partners that were barely gaming-tolerant or were worse, actively anti-gaming.  One guy was booked in and paid for the Con but 2 days before the event his wife decided that they needed to visit her parents for all of Easter (in another State).  It reminded me of the SCA where I saw similar conflicts.  And I guess even with stitching, where you hear of people who hide their latest purchases from their partners or lie about how much stash they have.

Very very sad case to be in.  But then the conversation turned happier as they then discussed absent friends who has gaming friendly partners.  One woman's husband really didn't see what or why she gamed, but he was prepared to accept it and what went with it and he knew enough of the lingo and always packed her off to the cons with all of her equipment and a packed lunch every day :) :)

The evening ended early when the skies opened up and the rain bucketed down !!!!!  And of course the drunks were in the part of the garden under shelter - and *we* were out in the rain !!!!  Oh well :) :)  Took nearly half an hour for all the farewells ot be said, and the hugs exchanged and the "what are you running in June?"  "when are you running the sequel to this game"?

When we got back to the hotel Stephen made me a cup of tea and asked if I would like a male opinion on my afternoon phone call.  I really didn't want to discuss it, but I did.  And Stephen gave insightful comments.  He didn't just give me tea and sympathy, nor did he rant and rage and threaten bodily harm!  Instead he asked thought-provoking questions and helped me sort out in my own mind just what the heck was going on!!!!!!  He was sweet.  We talked long into the night yet again ......

Until we actually noticed that one edge of the bed was damp and there was a one metre wide damp stain on the floor.  The roof had leaked during the rain storm earlier in the evening.  So we rang the manager and left a message, moved the bed and snuggled away from the wet spot.

TUESDAY

Again late to rise and a gorgeously long luxurious brunch.

I adore brunch - its definitely the most civilised meal of the day !!!!  The Con was over and this was our last day in Melbourne so we went shopping :)  I bought a couple of gifts for Alison who was looking after Trubby for me .... he enjoyed showing me new shops and just wandering in to whatever shop took our fancy ..... we both shopped at will and that's when he sneakily bought the little Tigger for me !!!  It was a very very relaxing day.

We even discussed the fact that we were getting on soo well and neither of us had felt the need to run away or manufacture an excuse for "me time".. Also we discussed the fact that neither of us would have to manufacture an excuse except to say "honey I need some me time".  It just felt sooo right and soooo goood.

That night he took me to his favourite restaurant on Lygon street - a very old-fashioned steak and pizza place.  My mouth was watering with all of the hand made pizzas being made - large and generous with the toppings and the smells were heavenly !!!!!!  Mind you my Veal Scallopine al Fungi (I think that's how it was spelled) just melted in my mouth when it arrived.  Truly a wonderful place to eat !!!! And not that expensive.  The entire meal including drinks was under $50.

Back to the apartment and we packed and then settled in for an early night ..... and then talked until late in the evening.


WEDNESDAY:

Al;arm went off at 4:30am.  I grumbled,  It was my turn to get kicked out of bed.  So we up showered drank a cup of tea, packed the car and I was delivered to the airport.  I was sad.  I pouted.  I He tickled me until I laughed.  He said he had to or we would both cry.

I got onto the plane and he drove out to his old house. I got into work around 9:30am in Sydney and he finished packing his car and left Melbourne around 12:30pm.

While he still had regular mobile coverage he txted or rang me every time he stopped for fuel or rest. I haven't heard since he left Port Augusta 10pm Thursday night.  43 hours ago.

I've had a very busy time at work and finished and presented my presentation - did well apparently.

Received a call from a pay phone last night at around 10pm and, thinking it was Stephen I answered it.  It was Paul.  I found a nasty email waiting for me when I got into work Wednesday and I had blocked his numbers on my phone since.

He used the payphone instead.  He has known me for nearly five years now.  He knows how to press my buttons, he knows exactly what to say, to tell me what I want to hear.  I just can't believe him and I hate being emotionally blackmailed.  He knows how to get to me and make me confused.

I cried all last night and I was still very confused this morning.  I went food shopping on autopilot.  I felt nothing.  I was numb.  Mum rang me, in a panic.  Its sometimes unfair having a psychic mother !!!  I talked it all out with mum and she helped me sort it all out in my head.  To see behind the lies, to see behind the platitudes ....

I'm still not fully OK - but I'm better and I needed to write all of this out while it was fresh in my head.  I wanted the walk down memory lane - to remember how good it felt and to act as a reminder in future.

Spose I'd better go and get some stitching done :)